Our recommendation: Springboro voters should say 'yes' the first time to school levies

Just Say No wrote:

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It doesn't take more money, it takes accountability.

Way to answer the question....

"Don't find fault, find a remedy." - Henry Ford -

Someone elected to serve on their local school boards (throughout our state) needs to be the person who questions their local school administrators.

Because, the first thing that happens to locally elected BOE members is getting pushed by school administrators (superintendent,treasurer) to "get trained" by the Ohio School Boards Association.

The Ohio School Boards Association indoctrinates new school board members attending leadership conferences the board members's sole responsibility is to listen to their school admininstrators and then give them everything they want; but, ask no questions because you don't want to micro-manage school administrators; because you will run the best of the bestest out of your school district then be guilty of hurting kids;
don't visit the schools because the staff will feel intimidated and this, too, may cause your community brain drain as the best of the bestest gets out of town to find higher paying jobs;
and, most importantly and always, above all common sense principles of living within your means, be alert to promote a continuous stream of "unnecessary school levy needs 24/7 throughout the year."

School districts throughout Ohio should just say no to Ohio School Board Association membership and pro-levy training conferences.
Springboro Schools Board of Education members Kelly Kohls, David Petroni, and Jim Rigano said no to OSBA and yes, yes, yes, to children first by reforming our budget with levy alternatives and no new money.

No voters wrote:

If the State of Ohio completely abandoned the property tax to fund schools and adopted a sales tax to fund schools would you people on here that vote no for every levy that is placed on the ballot consider voting yes?

I would say if the people managing the money would stop padding their pockets and actually spend it on education. If the people that manage the money would stop giving favors to each other and start to think about repairing buildings, buying text books, allow field trips, funding transportation, ya know actually fund what the money is intended to fund. It is not about getting more money it is totally about how it is used.

No voters wrote:

If the State of Ohio completely abandoned the property tax to fund schools and adopted a sales tax to fund schools would you people on here that vote no for every levy that is placed on the ballot consider voting yes?

only after the teachers and their union come to their senses and pay their fair share...hm...I sound like Obama...sorry bout that..:)

Those of us who believe in ourselves as responsible citizens, living within our own household budget resources, did indeed fail one,two,three,four,five school levies.
Springboro familes and taxpaying homeowners sent a clear message to our school district leaders that we rejected their fake budget crisis holding our parents hostage over things like bus transportation and excessive pay to play fees, and their lies that they was no money to buy textbooks for our children's classrooms.
Springboro families and taxpaying homeowners failed four unnecessary school levies BEFORE Kelly Kohls came on board in 2010. Kelly Kohls was the first board member to remind the other four that the board should listen to the community BEFORE putting a fifth levy on the ballot. Kelly Kohls was right; the fifth levy failed! and in 2011 voters elected David Petroni and Jim Rigano as board representives joining Kelly Kohls new philosophy of putting our children first.
Kelly Kohls was the first vote to restore busing our students to class and putting our bus drivers back to work.
Kelly Kohls was the first vote to lower our excessive pay to play fees 25%, making it more affordable for more of our students to participate in our school's athletic program.(As concerned citizens attending public board meetings, we were
surprised to hear both our former superintendent and our current high school principal object to doing what is right for our students and parents, and our athletic program as a whole.)
Thanks to Kelly Kohls' principles of putting our kids first, these services (that were taken away from our kids in efforts to pass unnecessary school levies) WERE RESTORED!
Thank you Kelly! You stand firmly on strong principles in the best interests of our school children and our community as a whole; and your service to our schools and community is appreciated!
We are excited about good things we see happening at our school board meetings and trust in the direction for our children's future in which our new board and new supperintendent are leading!
We Love Springboro! And Springboro families and taxpaying homeowners will settle for nothing less than the very best quality education for our kids, while living within the means of our community!
We believe our "children first budgeting" services
provide the best opportunities for our children's future.

No voters wrote:

If the State of Ohio completely abandoned the property tax to fund schools and adopted a sales tax to fund schools would you people on here that vote no for every levy that is placed on the ballot consider voting yes?

Stop missing the point. The solution is school choice. Competition cures all the mismanagement of funds and offering a better than the other guy education. No one tolerates stealing if there is a bottom line that is being closely watched and if you don't have a competitive plan that works you go out of business.

Public education does not get it, there is an end to the money. Pockets are empty, we are in a recession, we are feeding, clothing, heating, buying cell phones, paying for medical care for everyone else but ourselves. We are done, tapped out, who the he__ cares how you try to get more from us it isn't there. Your great ideas about how to better preform the shell game and take from our other pocket is lost effort and will only get another government agency involved in collecting in a "different" way.

Anyone watching the Chicago fiasco?

Anyone else thinking that if I lived there I would let those spoiled rotten kid haters know just how I feel? How could you "love kids", "it's for the kids" speakers just walk the picket line. Does it say "screw the kids I don't want to be measured for effectiveness, I am special"? Unbelievable that these kids are the very kids that are going hungry, living on the streets, and these people don't want to work if they are going to be evaluated. The highest paid teachers in this country? WOW this says a lot about the profession doesn't it?

No voters wrote:

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Way to answer the question....

You asked a stupid question and it was answered perfectly. To focus on how the money is taken is totally missing the point and sounds like a politician. "you won't feel it if I take it from your back pocket like you feel it from your front pocket". Theft is theft.

Competition wrote:

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Stop missing the point. The solution is school choice. Competition cures all the mismanagement of funds and offering a better than the other guy education. No one tolerates stealing if there is a bottom line that is being closely watched and if you don't have a competitive plan that works you go out of business.
Public education does not get it, there is an end to the money. Pockets are empty, we are in a recession, we are feeding, clothing, heating, buying cell phones, paying for medical care for everyone else but ourselves. We are done, tapped out, who the he__ cares how you try to get more from us it isn't there. Your great ideas about how to better preform the shell game and take from our other pocket is lost effort and will only get another government agency involved in collecting in a "different" way.

Competition will not cure anything, schools are not a business and can not be run like one. Your argument basically says that all schools should be run for profit, it can't happen. If this were to happen how many people in America would go uneducated? If the money has ended how do they pay?

No voters wrote:

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Competition will not cure anything, schools are not a business and can not be run like one. Your argument basically says that all schools should be run for profit, it can't happen. If this were to happen how many people in America would go uneducated? If the money has ended how do they pay?

The money sucked out of our kids' classrooms by big money teachers unions has got to stop. If Ohio's state leaders refuse to fight the teacher's union because they fear not getting re-elected; then concerned citizens who are already overtaxed to the max in Ohio, must continue fighting teachers union control of our local school tax dollars in our Springboro school district.
We have come a long way; we've won some battles the right way at the polls; but no matter which way elections go, those who fight for doing what's right for our children's education and our community well-being as a whole are the right stuff and the real winners. Fighting for competition in the education business and holding teachers accountable to district taxpayers will continue weakening the influence of the self-interest agenda of the Springboro Education Associaition.
Voters must stay alert in Springboro School district and just vote No New Taxes. We need to stay focused on our new school administrators and watch carefully how they lead us through our current financial scrutiny of illegal and unethical financial practices of our teachers/coaches and our school athletic director's current role in this Springboro Youth Basketball association scamming of school district taxpayers. Will our new administration stand firmly on the side of doing what's right for our school children and community; or will our new administrtation side with those who protest there is a boro coach way to do wrong the right way?
Where is the money?

No voters wrote:

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Competition will not cure anything, schools are not a business and can not be run like one. Your argument basically says that all schools should be run for profit, it can't happen. If this were to happen how many people in America would go uneducated? If the money has ended how do they pay?

"...Government programs, once launched, never disappear..."
-Ronald Reagan

Common sense voters know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Just say no to new taxes. No new fire levies to build fire stations that are unnecessary; no new Warren County MRDD levy to build bigger government programs which will require bigger governmennt salaries. It's time to take a stand and tell our government to stop spending. It's past time in Springboro to hold those accoutabile that are guilty of self-interest money scams whose influence affects our local school, city, township, and county reputations.

For example, IF former superintendent Lolli and former business manager Long had held the Springboro Youth Basketball association accountable to board policy, then Springboro voters would have learned that Jason Gabbard was associated with these illegal and unethical practices of the SYB(which we now learn did not even have a state license to operate until September 7, 2012!)
Now Mr. Gabbard is faced with "no credibility" ridicule from township residents as he sits beside Ed Wade who tells township residents "there will be a fire levy on the ballot." Mr. Gabbard joins the 3-0 trustee vote to hire another fire chief (with no reason to the taxpayers why this is necessary) and Ms. Anspech even questioned if this hiring was necessary and then still voted yes. Point is, if we want rid of big government, we have got to stop feeding these levies to support bigger government. Just say no to Clearcreek township fire levy. Can we really trust Ed Wade and Jason Gabbard with more of our money?

No voters wrote:

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Competition will not cure anything, schools are not a business and can not be run like one. Your argument basically says that all schools should be run for profit, it can't happen. If this were to happen how many people in America would go uneducated? If the money has ended how do they pay?

Schools are a business. A customer, a product and end to the money. A BUSINESS. Only a fool believes in the union slogan "education is not a business and can't be treated as one". That is such a bucket of nonsense. The union has to convince everyone that education is immune from the free market so they can fill your head with what they are and that in their minds is immune from having a budget and its for the kids and we are underpaid nonsense.

You seem to forget 5 times we said that we understand that you are a business and there is an end to the money and it is here and real and now.

We are not as stupid as you want us to be. We don't believe your slogan anymore we refuse your rhetoric. Try another slogan lets see who buys it.

No voters wrote:

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Competition will not cure anything, schools are not a business and can not be run like one. Your argument basically says that all schools should be run for profit, it can't happen. If this were to happen how many people in America would go uneducated? If the money has ended how do they pay?

Competition cures education. Who said anything about being for profit? If education was run for profit nothing would change but they are not. Private schools are not for profit, home schools are not for profit, many if not most charter schools are not for profit.

The schools that are for profit do well in educating, better than public education so I think we should let them look for profit just look at results. Public education is failing us and our kids. Do something else. take government out of the formula.
Don't allow unionization of education workers. Unionization has destroyed our once great nation.

Where Is the Money wrote:

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The money sucked out of our kids' classrooms by big money teachers unions has got to stop. If Ohio's state leaders refuse to fight the teacher's union because they fear not getting re-elected; then concerned citizens who are already overtaxed to the max in Ohio, must continue fighting teachers union control of our local school tax dollars in our Springboro school district.
We have come a long way; we've won some battles the right way at the polls; but no matter which way elections go, those who fight for doing what's right for our children's education and our community well-being as a whole are the right stuff and the real winners. Fighting for competition in the education business and holding teachers accountable to district taxpayers will continue weakening the influence of the self-interest agenda of the Springboro Education Associaition.
Voters must stay alert in Springboro School district and just vote No New Taxes. We need to stay focused on our new school administrators and watch carefully how they lead us through our current financial scrutiny of illegal and unethical financial practices of our teachers/coaches and our school athletic director's current role in this Springboro Youth Basketball association scamming of school district taxpayers. Will our new administration stand firmly on the side of doing what's right for our school children and community; or will our new administrtation side with those who protest there is a boro coach way to do wrong the right way?
Where is the money?

Why do you think the levy ladies have worked overtime to spread rumors about this BOE? It should be clear. These uninformed people are not so uninformed after all they are union minions.

They have worked this community over and over applauding this district for the volumes of lies they told us when they wanted to pick our pockets more and more. If you look at the district roster you will see that many of them got jobs in the district and the few left Lisa Babb are still trying and are teachers only interested in promoting the union.
They have to see that they are but mere pawns in this war against taxpayers. They have to see what they did to the kids for three years taking away textbooks, materials and supplies, field trips, busing, athletics, let the buildings degrade yet they still fight this current BOE every meeting when the BOE points to yet more and more corruption found in the last 5 years. Why aren't these ladies so embarrassed they curl up and go away? I have to ask why?

What is in it for them? Is it just to keep their district job? Is it to somehow prove that all their efforts had value, is it to show that they were right about something, is it to cover up something that has not been found yet? I have to ask what should we keep looking for?
Why would they all be so opposed to an internal audit? Why are they all of the sudden telling the district not to spend money to find out how the financials were manipulated over the last five years? If external orgs are being audited why is the Neighbors for Springboro Schools so nervous? Remember Lisa and Tiffy, Tina and the rest were on that NFSS board. What might a internal audit find?

Out of Money wrote:

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It doesn't appear they are going to give it to the citizens, in the june 27 minutes of the Township meeting it states:
"Under the Fiscal Officer's report, Mrs. Oda presented the Board and Mr. Pickett with the first draft of the 2013 Tax Budget. She referred to the September 2011 meeting in which she suggested to the Board that they NOT COLLECT 1.01 inside MILLS AS IT WAS NOT NEEDED......She suggested to the Board that NOT COLLECTING the taxes WOULD NOT affect the township's budget, OR the COULD COLLECT the money and earmark it for the park expansion on Springboro Rd. Mrs. Oda also suggested that instead of entering in to a long term agreement with the City of Springboro to help with their parks, the township could instead EASE the athletic field burden off the city and retain the money they would have given donated to the City Of Springboro."
The Township's carry over is now over 14 MILLION DOLLARS.
If the township resident lives in Waynesville or Lebanon School District, how do you like paying for Springboro also?
The Board also voted to not mail the Tax Budget but to simply post it on the website, it isn't posted nor are the minuted past the first meeting in July.
How about not collecting the tax and sending a donate card to the taxpayers asking if they want to donate to the Springboro Althletic field.

Mr. Wade explains to Waynesville/Lebanon School District taxpayers that Springboro kids benefitted from their township taxes because 40 kids out of every 100 kids using Wade Field were from township??
Mr. Wade explains to all township taxpayers that have been overtaxed by Clearcreek administrator/double dipper Mr. Pickett for years now, that to allow the tax holiday would be such a small amount to each Township homewoner that he felt that Mr. Pickett/Clearcreek Township Government could make "better use of our money than we taxpayers could use our own money for our own household needs!
That's what happens when good ole boys get so dug into our pockets (with no accountability to we the people) that they actually think "the government OWNS our pockets! Just disgusting!

For real wrote:

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Why do you think the levy ladies have worked overtime to spread rumors about this BOE? It should be clear. These uninformed people are not so uninformed after all they are union minions.
They have worked this community over and over applauding this district for the volumes of lies they told us when they wanted to pick our pockets more and more. If you look at the district roster you will see that many of them got jobs in the district and the few left Lisa Babb are still trying and are teachers only interested in promoting the union.
They have to see that they are but mere pawns in this war against taxpayers. They have to see what they did to the kids for three years taking away textbooks, materials and supplies, field trips, busing, athletics, let the buildings degrade yet they still fight this current BOE every meeting when the BOE points to yet more and more corruption found in the last 5 years. Why aren't these ladies so embarrassed they curl up and go away? I have to ask why?
What is in it for them? Is it just to keep their district job? Is it to somehow prove that all their efforts had value, is it to show that they were right about something, is it to cover up something that has not been found yet? I have to ask what should we keep looking for?
Why would they all be so opposed to an internal audit? Why are they all of the sudden telling the district not to spend money to find out how the financials were manipulated over the last five years? If external orgs are being audited why is the Neighbors for Springboro Schools so nervous? Remember Lisa and Tiffy, Tina and the rest were on that NFSS board. What might a internal audit find?

Why is Tracy Jarvis protesting "she's never heard of an inside audit?" Why insist "doing business as usual" as our school district works through this unusual booster business mismanagement? As a school employee, why doesn't Ms. Jarvis want to clear up any doubts in the minds of community members of her role in this big boosters "undercover" scamming? Why should she not join the superintendent's concern that all questions and doubts need to be resolved in the minds of community members; before the superintendent can bring, with integrity, his renewal levy request to district taxpayers next year.

This one thing we now know -- the Neighbors for Springboro Schools pro- levy group accepted donations from the Springboro Youth Basketball association at a time that the SYB was operating illegally. Wasn't Susan Thomsen the NFSS Treasurer at that time?
And isn't Susan Thomsen the wife of former school board member Ira Thomsen? Is Levy Lady Lisa Babb's husband, Larry, the current NFSS treasurer? Could that be why Lisa Babb is trying so hard to distract our BOE from conducting an internal audit?

So ask yourself this question - what happened to all of the SYB money before the current president and most recent treasurer were in charge. Just 4 years ago, SYB had $0 in their bank account - where did that money go? Rather the crucify the current SYB board, who has done a great job and HAS brought transparency to their reporting, ask why this organization had no money prior to the current board. The current SYB president has done a great job and has paid every bill presented to him by the BOE. If the SYB and BOE decide to change their arrangement, so be it. But to this point I would say that the SYB is a model for how other organizations in this city should be run.

Grapevine wrote:

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Clarity asks: If there were no "extra" events in the schools, is there no plan to ever update/repair the facilities?
Our former business manager (now long gone) would have to answer your question truthfully and say "there was never a plan to ever update/repair the facilities" and neither was there a plan to replace our district's aging school bus fleet.
Guess George was too busy with care flight field and then the greening of wade field to concern himself with our children's safety first on the bus to class; nor the repairs needed to our tax-payer funded school facilities. Not going to do your research for you; but these priorities are now being addressed by our current school district leaders.
Another issue being addressed is whether or not the current school superintendent will charge the SYB fees within guidelines of policy 7310; and whether or not the current superintendent will act on behalf of district taxpayers and take steps necessary to get back our money that former school administrators illegally waived.
Taxpayer are watching closely; but can't help but think there's more "dealing" going on in our school district than what is seen throught the eye of the TV camera.

Come on Grapevine.... don't you know that Petrey is going to do what the board tells him to do. It is in his contract.

Think Before You Post wrote:

So ask yourself this question - what happened to all of the SYB money before the current president and most recent treasurer were in charge. Just 4 years ago, SYB had $0 in their bank account - where did that money go? Rather the crucify the current SYB board, who has done a great job and HAS brought transparency to their reporting, ask why this organization had no money prior to the current board. The current SYB president has done a great job and has paid every bill presented to him by the BOE. If the SYB and BOE decide to change their arrangement, so be it. But to this point I would say that the SYB is a model for how other organizations in this city should be run.

The current board has only been in for 2 years. The board before him was given no money when they took over. The President from 4 years ago turned things around and the current board has continued doing a great job! BTW the president of the board that handed over no money 4+ years ago when he was done running the SYB is your new interm high school basketball coach! Hmmm interesting.

" The President from 4 years ago turned things around and the current board has continued doing a great job! BTW the president of the board that handed over no money 4+ years ago when he was done running the SYB is your new interm high school basketball coach! Hmmm interesting. "
I'm not from down there but I've been entertained by your blogs.
Question is..if so many are concerned about your youth Basketball money. Did any of the hiring panel members ask that question of him during the interview? Sounds like you have a problem with your hiring committee members. Does the new coach have friends on the panel?